


The Opposite of Synchronicity

by supreme_genius



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, M/M, Other, Sexual Content, Violence, mention of breaking up, smut in chapter 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 01:13:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2368928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supreme_genius/pseuds/supreme_genius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SYNCHRONICTY: noun<br/>1. the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Grimm or make monetary gain.  
> As usual, this isn't beta'd. 
> 
> The rating may get bumped to explicit later on. Pairings will change and be added. New tags will be added as the story progresses.  
> It's about to get wild.

            “Captain, can I talk to you for a minute?” Nick asks as he hovers in the doorway to Renard’s office.

            “Of course, Nick. Come in.” Renard gestures to one of the chairs in front of his desks and closes the file he has in front of him. “What do you need?”

            “I was hoping to cash in some of my vacation days.”

            “You and Juliette going somewhere nice?”

            “Uh, no. Actually, my mom wants to meet up with me. She doesn’t really want to come here.”

            “You know where she is?”

            “No. She won’t tell me. She wants to meet on neutral ground but she hasn’t said where yet.” When he sees Renard frowning, Nick adds, “I know how this sounds.”

            Renard shakes his head. “No, forgive me. I just don’t want you getting in over your head without realizing. But I’m sure she just wants to see her son somewhere without threat.” He smiles a bit. “Take as much time as you need. I’m sure we’ll manage without you.”

            Nick nods. “Thank you.”

            When Nick gets home, he starts getting a bag ready so he can leave early in the morning. Juliette, much like Renard, is worried that Nick is getting himself into something that he shouldn’t be. But, as always, Nick insists he knows what he’s doing and is capable of taking care of himself (even without his grimm abilities). When Trubel voices her opinion and offers to tag along in case of wesen, Nick freaks out.

            “What is with everyone insisting that I’m an idiot?”

            “No one said that, Nick,” Juliette says, almost offended. Lately Nick has been putting words in everyone’s mouth – especially hers and Trubel’s – and it’s getting really old really quickly. “We just care about you and want to make sure your mom isn’t keeping anything from you.”

            “Why would she keep anything from me?”

            “Well,” Trubel starts, “she did let you think she was dead for twenty years.”

            “She wanted to protect me,” Nick spits back.

            “Here’s the deal, Nick.” Trubel, who’s been leaning against the kitchen counter, stands up and straightens out her body; she’s almost as tall as Nick. “You’re not a grimm and people – wesen, royals, whatever – are finding out. You’re an easy target now because you won’t see them coming. Do you really think that there isn’t anyone out there that wants revenge? Because right now is the perfect opportunity for it.”

            Nick can hardly deny Trubel’s words. She’s right and he knows it. The entire group knows it. Nick is the most vulnerable of them all – more than Hank or Juliette, more than even Wu. He knows it and he hates it; refuses to let himself be vulnerable. It’s why he’s been lashing out, even if he doesn’t realize it.

            “You know what? I’m leaving. Why wait until morning? The two of you are only gonna keep nagging me for the next twelve hours.” With his face marred into a scowl, Nick turns and grabs his bag.

            Juliette, at her wit’s end, follows him into the bedroom, shutting the door to keep her upcoming words private. “If you’re going to keep acting like this, I don’t want you here. This is my home and now it’s Trubel’s home, too. I’m not going to let anyone – even you – make either of us uncomfortable here. So if you plan on acting like dick when you come back, just don’t. You can take your things and you can find somewhere else to stay.” Juliette hates that it’s come to this, but she’s tired of letting Nick walk all over her – it’s been going on far too long. She knows she has to put her foot down.

            Nick scoffs and shakes his head, as if Juliette were playing some game. He narrows his gaze as an offended look creeps onto his face. “You’re kicking me out?”

            “If you’re going to keep acting like this, yes.”

            “I gave up my grimm abilities for you.”

            “No you didn’t. You keep saying that, but it’s not true. You lost them. You were tricked into losing them and I’m sorry. You were the one who chose not to even try to restore them.”

            “I did that for you!”

            “Why? I never asked you to.”

            “I wanted to give you a normal life!”

            “Had I known my choices were either a life with a grimm where I have to keep looking over my shoulder and wondering when the next wesen is going to break in and attack us, or living with someone who’s as volatile as you’ve been, I’d choose the grimm life.”

            “I can’t believe you. I can’t _fucking_ believe you.” Nick’s tone is sharp enough to bite and it does.

            “Get out,” Juliette says coolly.

            “I’m not gonna let you kick me out of my home.”

            “It’s my name on the deed. This is _my_ house and you’re not welcome here,” she says more firmly, but still not raising her voice.

            “But, Juliette… _Jules_ …”

            “Get out, Nick!” She yells. “Just get the fuck out already!”

            Bag in hand, Nick practically rips the door from its hinges as he opens it and stomps out. Juliette can hear every footstep Nick makes until he’s slamming the front door shut with such fervor the house shakes. Juliette begs herself not to cry, not to let Nick get the best of her anymore. She takes a few deep breaths to settle herself and when she turns around, Trubel is standing in the doorway.

            Trubel is tough and a bit private when it comes to feelings. She never says anything when she’s upset. But now that she has Juliette in her life, she doesn’t have to. She wants to comfort Juliette, but at the same time, she needs Juliette to comfort her. It’s written all over her face. Juliette walks over to Trubel and pulls her into a hug. The affection is still new to Trubel, who hasn’t really felt any since she lost her parents. She never feels as if Juliette is a parental figure in her life, more so a really cool older sister; they’re only about ten years apart.

            Finally, Trubel breaks the silence, her voice far smaller than she is. “Do you think he’ll come back?”

            “I don’t know.” Juliette sighs and lets go of Trubel. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I want him to.”

            “Even if he changes?”

            “Even if he changes, it’ll never be like it used to be, way before any of the grimm stuff.”

            A week passes before anyone hears from Nick; even Hank, who’s sent him about ten texts; even Monroe, who’s sent him even more. It’s Renard, though, who gets the response. The captain is sitting on his sofa, enjoying a glass of scotch after a far-too-tedious day. He’s lost in his thoughts, when the sound of his phone disrupts him.

            Nick: _can we talk?_

            Renard: _Is it important?_

            Nick: _very_

            Renard: _Your phone will ring in ten minutes. Disregard the number. Just pick up._

            With a groan, Renard gets up and then downs the rest of his drink before crossing the room. Sitting down at his desk, he pulls out the bottom drawer on the left side and then the center drawer. Slipping his hand beneath the center drawer, he turns a lever. A smaller drawer makes itself visible in the larger bottom drawer that Renard first opened. Inside is a box. Renard pulls out the small oak box and opens it. Inside are a cell phone, a passport, a credit card, a set of keys, and a key that looks like the one Nick wears around his neck. Renard takes the cell phone and sets the box down. He checks the clock, waits four minutes, and then dials Nick’s number.

            “Hello?”

            “What do you want?”

            “I have another one.”

            “How many does that make?”

            “Three.”

            “That gives us four.”

            “Still need the last three.”

            “The Resistance has one. That’s as good as ours.”

            “The other two?”

            “I know where one is, but it’ll have to be the last one we get. It won’t be easy.” The smallest trace of fear can be picked up in Renard’s voice, but he immediately pushes it away.

            “And the last one?”

            “I don’t know. Doesn’t seem like anyone knows. But I have a feeling it’s in the hands of one of the Royal Families.”

            “Your brother?”

            “No.” Renard knows he shouldn’t, but he asks anyway. “When are you coming back?”

            “I don’t know. Might not. Not until I need to.”

            “You can’t just leave.”

            “Don’t really have a home to go back to.”

            _Don’t do it, Sean. Just don’t._ “You have a key. Use it.”

            “Sean –”

            “We have to keep this short. I’ll call you tomorrow. Midnight. Same number. Pick up.” Renard hangs up, turns off the phone, and places it back in the little box. After everything is back in order, he gets up and pours himself another drink. Upon sitting down, he hears the faintest click somewhere behind him. He runs his hand along the smooth fabric of the sofa and beneath the throw pillow, fingers settling on cold metal.

            “You have something I want, _Sean_.”


	2. Nick

Nick is fuming as his car carries him farther and farther from the house he’ll no longer call him, the woman he’ll no longer call his girlfriend, and the life he no longer wants to live. His car comes to a stop at a stop sign and his foot sits heavy on the brake pedal. He sighs as he runs his hands over his face, unsure of what he should do. Briefly he considers calling Monroe, but he knows he’ll only get the answering machine. The same with Hank. But before Nick can let himself start to dwell on the lack of options he has, his phone rings.

“Burkhardt.”

“Nick, it’s me.”

“Mom, where are you?”

“Up in Seattle. How soon can you get up here?”

“I’m like ten minutes from the highway. Then it’s a three-hour drive.”

Kelly sighs into the phone. “Just get here as soon as you can. When you cross the border into Washington, there’s a motel about five minutes down the road. Pull over there and call me back at this number.” Without another word, she hangs up.

Nick sets his phone on the passenger seat, checks the traffic, and then pulls away, heading towards the highway. After an hour, he debates turning on his lights and siren in order to move faster, but he ultimately decides against it; for once he decides against taking advantage of authority. Almost two hours later, right around eleven, Nick pulls into a motel parking lot and calls his mother.

“Put me on speaker phone and I’ll lead you to wear I am. I can’t text you the address. It’s not safe. It’s bad enough you have my number.” Kelly talks Nick through each turn and it’s not long before she’s giving him the last few directions. “Alright, there’s gonna be a dirt road on your right, take it. You’re gonna go for about two miles, make a left. Go to the end of the road. Turn your lights out and then pull into the driveway. I’ll be waiting.” Again, without a word, Kelly hangs up.

Turning off his lights, Nick pulls into the driveway as told. He can barely make out the silhouette standing outside, waiting, but he knows it’s her. She’s standing outside a small cabin. Nick wonders whose it is, but he knows it’s probably better that he doesn’t know. He turn off the ignition and gets out, slowly approaching the darkened figure. She pushes the hood off her head and looks up at Nick.

“Nicky,” she says, her voice softer than what it had been on the phone.

“Mom,” he says with a small smile, what he can muster.

“Come inside. We shouldn’t be standing out here.”

Kelly leads her son into the cabin and turns on a few lights, illuminating a semi-cozy living room. Though it seems like a cozy place, it’s still vacant of any real personal touches. He looks around and then frowns.

“Where’s the baby?”

“She’s with a friend right now.”

“You have a friend?”

“I have a few, actually. From the Resistance.”

“Why isn’t she with you?”

“It wasn’t safe for her to be with me right now.” She reaches into her pocket. “I got this.” She extends her arm, and when she uncurls her fingers, she reveals a key, much like the two that are currently around Nick’s neck.

It takes Nick a moment to reach out and take it from her, unaware that she was giving it to him. After Nick takes it, he adds it to the other two. The chain now has a bit of weight to it and Nick makes a mental note to figure out something new.

“Are you alright, Nicky?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t lie to your mother. We know. We can feel it.”

Nick sighs. “There’s a lot wrong, actually.” Nick goes on to tell his mother about the fight with Juliette, getting kicked out, getting the second key, and his partnership with Renard. When he looks up and finds his mother looking at him expectantly, he continues, telling her about losing his grimm abilities.

“And you didn’t even try to get your powers back? What’s the matter with you?”

“I wanted a normal life for Juliette and I.”

“I know it’s been a long time since I was really your mother, but I am and always will be. So, as a mother, I’m going to tell you that you should never change yourself for anyone. I understand that they were taken from you by that hexenbitch, but to not even try to get them back?” She shakes her head.

“I know,” he says quietly.

“So, you don’t have that other girl helping you anymore?”

“Trubel? No. She’s on Juliette’s side.” He shrugs. “I guess when I get back to Portland, I should talk to Rosalee and Monroe. See if they can find anything.”

“Oh, I’m sure they’re already looking.”

“What?”

“I’ve met them. We didn’t start out well, but I can tell they care about you very deeply. Even if you said you didn’t want it, I’d bet they’re gonna look anyway.”

Nick smiles a bit. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“And what about Renard?”

“What about him?”

“You seem to be speaking very highly of him. You trust him now?”

“Yeah, I do. He almost died, mom. Maybe it’s stupid but...I just have this feeling, deep in my stomach...he’s a good guy. He’s on our side.”

“Okay then.”

“He has one of the keys and knows where another is. But he said it’s really dangerous and it would have to be the last one we get. The last one he doesn’t know anything about. He just thinks it’s with one of the royal families.”

“I’ll see if I can find out anything.” Kelly checks her watch. “You should be getting back to Portland. If you’re too tired to make the drive, go back to that motel. Tell the guy at the counter that Grace sent you. You’ll be safe.”

“How long can I stay?”

“What?”

“I don’t want to go back. Not yet.”

Kelly nods. “You can stay here for three days. You can stay at the motel for another three. That’s it.”

“What about you?”

“I have to leave the day after tomorrow.”

Nick nods, taking another look around the room.

“Go get some sleep, Nicky.”

It takes Nick a while to fall asleep, a million thoughts swimming through his mind and keeping him awake. But when he does fall asleep, he sleeps through the night, not waking up until after seven. The smell of pancakes wafts through the air and brings Nick out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where his mother is standing over the stove, flipping pancakes onto a plate.

“I made breakfast,” she says, looking up with the smile Nick remembers from decades ago.

As Nick eats, the keys hang extra heavy around his neck. “Mom?”

“What, Nick?”

“Where’d you get the key from?”

“California.”

“Tell me about it.”

Kelly sighs, hoping that Nick would just take the key and go, rather than trying to play 21 questions. “There was a grimm living there about a year and a half ago. We’d been in touch a few times. Someone killed him -- beheaded him. I went to go meet with his daughter. She had the key. She didn’t want anything to do with the key or grimm life. She pretty willingly handed it over. I’m just thankful I was the one who asked first.”

Nick nods, satisfied with his mother’s answer.

After finishing up with breakfast, Nick offers to do the dishes. Nick and Kelly spend the day catching up and discussing what’s next for them and the keys. Nick also takes the time to confide in his mother.

“Can we talk, like not about grimm stuff?”

“Of course, Nicky.”

“I don’t want to go back to Portland.”

“Because of Juliette?”

“It’s more than that. It’s her and Trubel and Monroe and Rosalee. I feel like I’m a burden to them all. I’m just bringing them all down with me. That’s why I wanted to just be normal, human. I wanted a regular life.”

“I know how you feel. When I met your father, I wanted nothing more than to be normal. My worst fear was losing him to this life and that was exactly what I got. I know what you’re feeling, Nicky. And I don’t blame you for not wanting to be a grimm anymore. But you were born into this life and you’re good at it. You’re what a grimm should be. It’s taken me a long time to realize that the way Marie and I were raised was wrong. We killed wesen that didn’t deserve it.” She lets out a dry laugh. “Never thought I’d be saying anything like that.”

They talk a while more, until Kelly’s phone starts ringing. It’s her friend, letting her know that the baby is fine but they’re moving locations, and that she should still leave tomorrow. When Nick questions where she’s going, she simply tells him that it’s better if he doesn’t know. Nick seems content with that, realizing that it probably is best if he doesn’t know.

The next two days go fast for Nick. He packs his things back up and drives back down to the motel. He follows his mother’s orders and tells the man behind the counter that Grace sent him. The guy gives him a simple nod, hands him the keys to room number 7, and leads him down to the second-to-last room. The guy reminds him that he has to leave after three days and Nick nods.

This time, the time drags on. Nick spends most of the three days studying the keys. He has three now and it gives him a good chunk of the map, enough to be able to see enough detail to make out a map. He wishes Monroe were there to give him a geography lesson.

As the second day is ending, Nick makes a decision. Phone in hand, he taps out a text and hopes for a quick reply.

Nick: _can we talk?_

Renard: _Is it important?_

Nick: _very_

Renard: _Your phone will ring in ten minutes. Disregard the number. Just pick up._

“You have a key. Use it,” is what Renard says. What Nick hears is, “Come back. Stay with me.”

 

 


	3. Juliette and Trubel

After Nick leaves, Juliette can’t sleep. She’s too riled up with all the feelings she’s been trying to repress for the last few months, since finding about about Nick’s grimm life. She lies in bed, the fabric of the sheets cold without her usual partner. She doesn’t toss or turn, just lies there and looks up at the ceiling. There’s a tiny part of her that expects a text from Nick, even if it’s something angry. But she knows that part of her is just going to get its hopes up.

It’s just after midnight when a light knock on the door grabs her attention. She sits up and says “come in,” knowing that it’s Trubel. Juliette leans back against the headboard and crosses her legs, pulling back the corner of the blanket as an invitation. Trubel is somewhat slow to come in and then lingers at the foot of the bed before finally sitting down next to Juliette. Neither woman says anything. Wordlessly, the two shift their positions until they’re leaning against each other and curled up under the comforter. Despite feeling a bit tenuous, Trubel easily settles in with Juliette and lets the redhead lay her head on her shoulder.

“You okay?” Trubel asks, finally breaking the silence.

“I don’t know. I feel like I need more closure. Four years together over with a brief confrontation.”

“The year and a half were rough for you guys, right? Maybe you guys just weren’t meant to make it through that.”

Juliette nods. “You’re probably right.” After a while of comfortable silence between the women, Juliette adds, “will you sleep in here tonight?”

“Uh,” Trubel draws out the word to give herself a moment to think. “Sure. If you want me to.”

It’s certainly a bit awkward at first; it’s been a while since Trubel’s been in this position with someone. But she can’t not be there for Juliette after everything she’s done for her. Juliette curls up against Trubel’s side, an arm strewn over her stomach and her head on her shoulder. It’s nice to feel needed, Trubel finally decides. The tenuous feeling leaves her body and is replaced with fondness for the woman lying with her.

Juliette manages to sleep through the night, not waking up until her alarm goes off. Yawning and stretching, she slips out of Trubel’s grip and out of bed, quietly walking into the en suite and closing the door. Half an hour later, when she comes out of the bathroom, Trubel is still asleep. Juliette dresses quickly, grabs her things, and slips out of the room, allowing Trubel to remain sleeping. Downstairs, Juliette fixes her morning coffee and grabs a granola bar for a quick breakfast. She leaves a note for Trubel saying she’ll grab a pizza for dinner when she leaves work and to please run the vacuum around the house.

It’s another hour after Juliette leaves for work that Trubel finally wakes up. It takes her a moment to gather her thoughts and think about where she is. Normally, she would be waking up down the hall, in her own bed, without the smell of someone’s perfume all around her. She lets herself lie in bed a while longer. It’s different but she would be lying if she said she didn’t prefer this just a little.

When she finally gets up, Trubel makes the bed and then retreats down the hall for a shower. It’s just after eleven when she finally makes it downstairs and reads Juliette’s note. Not only does Trubel run the vacuum as per Juliette’s request, she mops the kitchen floor, dusts, and cleans the bathroom. By the time she’s done, it’s almost five and Juliette should be home in an hour. She heads upstairs for another shower -- this one quick, just to rinse off the sweat and dust from cleaning -- and puts on a nicer pair of jeans and a blouse that Juliette bought for her last week when they went shopping. Immediately, she feels stupid. She finally has to admit to herself that she may have a tiny crush on Juliette.

“Trubel? I’m home!” Juliette yells into the house as she juggles the box of pizza and lets herself in.

“Coming!” She runs down the stairs and snatches the box from Juliette to free her hands.

When Juliette walks into the kitchen behind Trubel, she notices that things look a bit different. It takes her a minute to realize that most of the house has been cleaned. She smiles.

“Did you clean the house?”

“Yeah.”

“I only asked you to vacuum.”

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to do something nice. I guess I just got overzealous.”

“Don’t apologize! I’m just not used to this.” She pulls Trubel into a hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. And, uh, you can call me Theresa...if you want.”

Juliette smiles. “Well, Theresa, how about some pizza for all your hard work?”

“That sounds good!”

That night they go to sleep in their respective beds. Theresa’s mind keeps wandering down the hall, dreams bringing her visions of a ginger goddess. The images bring sleepy moans to her lips. The sounds make Juliette’s cheeks redden as she stands in the doorway watching. She tried sleeping and succeeded for about four hours. But now she’s here. Without thought, Juliette’s feet carry her into the room. She reaches out, gently shaking Theresa’s arm.

“Hey,” she whispers, “are you awake?”

Theresa grumbles and Juliette shakes her again. The younger woman groans before rolling over and looking up with squinting eyes.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Nothing.” Juliette’s voice is still low. “I just couldn’t sleep. Can I sleep here? With you?”

“Uh sure.”

Theresa moves over to make room for Juliette, who just lies as close as she can. It’s still weird to Theresa that someone is being this affectionate with her and she’s starting to think that maybe this is the reason she might be crushing on Juliette. As Juliette wiggles closer, tucking herself against Theresa’s side, Theresa feels heat pooling low in her belly and for a brief moment she’s really glad she’s not a guy. She can’t smell anything that isn’t Juliette’s perfume or shampoo. Despite the rain pouring down, she can’t hear anything that isn’t her own too-fast heartbeat. Suddenly she’s very aware of every single point where Juliette’s body is touching hers. And now Theresa is painfully aware of just how screwed she is.

Nick has been gone for six days; it’s been raining for five of them. Theresa finds it a bit ironic. But despite the gloominess outside, the vibe inside the house is much happier. It’s the weekend and Juliette has off from work. The two women decide on a lazy weekend of take-out food, Netflix, and absolutely no talk of guys or work. Juliette extends an invitation to Rosalee, but she politely declines in favor of a weekend in with her new husband, with whom she still hasn’t had a real honeymoon.

It’s Saturday night and Juliette and Theresa are curled up in bed, watching reruns of Parks and Recreation on Netflix. Juliette had said she needed good laugh and one of the other vets at work recommended the show. Theresa was into anything, especially when Juliette started laughing. The redhead’s eyes lit up and finally her lips were curled into a genuinely happy smile.

But Theresa gets distracted thinking about what’s going to happen to her now that Nick’s gone. How is she going to deal with grimm life? Who will she ask questions about grimm stuff? Will Rosalee and Monroe still talk to her? Will she end up being a too-painful reminder of Nick? Will Juliette really let her keep living here when Nick was the one who first brought her in? All the questions make her head hurt.

“Are you okay?” Juliette’s voice interrupt all the questions in Theresa’s head.

“Huh? Yeah. Just, uh...just a headache. Probably from all the cleaning stuff.”

“Do you want me to get you some aspirin?”

Theresa shakes her head. “No, I’m okay.”

“Okay,” Juliette says, her eyes lingering as if she were studying Theresa’s face. Finally she looks away, back at the television, and then lays her head on Theresa’s shoulder.

The thoughts keep bombarding Theresa’s mind and finally she just can’t hold it in anymore. “Juliette, can I keep living here?”

Juliette’s face is scrunched up when she sits up and looks at Theresa. She pauses the show and moves her body so she can look straight at Theresa. “Of course you can. Why wouldn’t you?”

“It’s just…”

“What? Come on. You know you can talk to me.”

“Nick was the reason I started staying here and I guess I’m just kinda scared that I’ll just remind you of him and you’ll make me leave because I really don’t want to leave because I like living here and I like living with you and --”

Before Theresa can keep rambling, Juliette is leaning forward and capturing Theresa’s lips with her own. Completely in shock, Theresa freezes. Of course Juliette takes the lack of response as a bad thing and quickly pulls away and starts apologizing. When Theresa regains her wits, she reaches out and grabs Juliette’s hand, pulling her back close. This time it’s Theresa leaning forward, bringing their mouths together. But this time the embrace is reciprocated by both parties.

It’s not the first time Juliette’s kissed a girl, but it is the first time she’s kissed a girl without having to worry about who might find out or who might walk in. It’s also the first time she’s felt like she doesn’t have to hide a part of herself. She’d moved to Portland in hopes of having freedom and being able to be who she wanted, but she still just found it easier to hide. But now her mother isn’t in the next room; she’s not worried if her roommate is going to barge in; and she’s kissing Theresa, who’s kissing back and seems to actually be enjoying it.

However, for Theresa, it is a first. She’s had the thoughts before a few times, but never acted on it. But this is Juliette, and it feels right and she feels safe and cared about. She doesn’t have a whole lot of experience so she lets Juliette lead; she’s content just being along for the ride. Slowly but surely, Theresa begins to feel more confident; instead of leaving her hands sitting awkwardly in her lap, she tangles her fingers in Juliette’s hair. Her heart beats faster and soon she’s pulling away and trying to catch her breath, chest heaving a bit.

“I’m sorry...I just...I guess I got carried away.”

“Don’t be sorry. I liked it.” Theresa adds, “A lot.”

“Really?” Juliette asks, still unsure.

Instead of saying anything, Theresa just kisses her again, smiling into it. This time, both women kiss with more fervor, and Juliette leans forward, gently pushing Theresa back until she’s lying on the bed and Juliette is leaning over her. She slips one leg between Theresa’s and slowly reaches out to explore her body.

“Is this okay?” Juliette asks, not wanting to just assume.

“Yeah,” Theresa answers in a husky voice.

Juliette slips her hand under Theresa’s shirt, her hand warm against bare skin. She lets it rest on Theresa’s side, just above her hip, as they continue to kiss. Theresa’s hands don’t explore as much; she’s never really been too sure where to put her hands. One stays curled in Juliette’s hair and the other slides down her body, caressing her side, and settles on her hip, not daring to slip underneath.

When Juliette’s hand starts to move up Theresa’s body, the younger woman stops her. It’s not that she doesn’t want this -- want Juliette -- but she’s just not ready. She also wants to be sure that this is real, that it’s not just some temporary fix now that Nick is gone.

Juliette takes the hint and slides her hand back down, this time letting it rest on Theresa’s clothed hip. They spend a majority of the night curled up together and stealing kisses. It’s in the morning, when Juliette snuggles closer and asks her how she slept, that Theresa loosens up and feels like there might actually be something here.

 

 


	4. Renard

It’s a brief conversation that he shares with Nick. He wants to say something, wants to stop Nick from going, or at least try and talk him into taking someone with him. But Nick is stubborn and Renard is one of the people who know that best. He understands that Nick wants his mother back in his life as much as possible, but Renard doesn’t trust her any farther than he can throw her and, he’s guessing, that isn’t too far. But he feigns nice until Nick walks out of the room.

Renard waits until he’s back in his apartment to pull out one of the phones sitting in his desk and make a call to a friend in the Resistance. Part of him wishes he were calling Meisner. He was trustworthy and Renard was happy to call him an ally. But with everything he’s put Meisner through, he doesn’t feel as if he can keep calling on him. And after Sebastian, well, Renard has started choosing allies that he’s far less attached to.

He explains the situation with Nick, but only the need-to-know details. He needs to keep the Resistance informed about Nick now that he doesn’t have his powers. The Resistance is on red alert and now they have triple the number of people watching out for Nick.

Almost a week later, Renard is actually starting to worry. No one from the Resistance has reported any issues, but since Renard hasn’t personally seen or talked to Nick, he’s on edge.

It’s just after six when the text alert tone on Renard’s phone sounds. It’s Nick, and Renard breathes a sigh of relief. He tells Nick that he’ll call him in ten minutes. He can’t risk anyone listening to the line or tracing the texts. He sits down at his desk and pulls out the bottom drawer on the left side and then the center drawer. Slipping his hand beneath the center drawer, he turns a lever. A smaller drawer makes itself visible in the larger bottom drawer that Renard first opened. Inside is a box. Renard pulls out the small oak box and opens it. Inside are a cell phone, a passport, a credit card, a set of keys, and a key that looks like the one Nick wears around his neck. Renard takes the cell phone and sets the box down. He checks the clock, waits four minutes, and then dials Nick’s number.

They talk about the keys. Nick has another; that makes three. Renard has one. He’d gotten it a few years back from his mother, who had had it since she ran from Renard’s father. She’d stolen it right from under him. The resistance has one, but no one talks about who or where it came from. There’s one that is M.I.A. but Renard is pretty sure it’s with the head of one of the other royal families. The last one -- Renard knows where it is, knows who has it. But it’s going to take a lot to get it. He needs Nick, Hank, their wesen friends, Nick’s mother, many members of the Resistance, Meisner, and his mother. He knows Sebastian would have been a huge source of help, but there’s no use dwelling on what can’t be changed.

“When are you coming back?” Is what Renard asks, but what he wants to say is, “Please come back soon.”

“I don’t know. Might not. Not until I need to.”

“You can’t just leave.”

“Don’t really have a home to go back to.”

Don’t do it, Sean. Just don’t. He knows this offer will change things; he hopes it’s for the better. “You have a key. Use it.”

       “Sean –”

       He has to change the subject, can’t let himself linger here. “We have to keep this short. I’ll call you tomorrow. Midnight. Same number. Pick up.” He hangs up, turns off the phone, and places it back in the little box.

Renard pours himself another drink. The previous one had been to ease the nerves that came with not knowing if Nick was safe. This one, though, is to ease the anxiety that comes with knowing he’s acting too much on his heart and not enough on his mind.

When he sits down, he hears the faintest click somewhere behind him. He runs his hand along the smooth fabric of the sofa and beneath the throw pillow, fingers settling on cold metal. He knows this has been a long time coming. But he’s prepared.

       “You have something I want, Sean.”

Renard’s lips curl into a grin. “I bet I do.”

“Now is not the time to be smart with me, son.”

The footsteps come closer and soon the other man is standing off to Renard’s side, but still in his line of site. Despite having a gun aimed at him, he chuckles.

“Your son is dead.” Sean turns his gaze to his father. “And you disowned me a long time ago...right about the time you let your wife try to kill my mother and myself.”

“Enough!” His voice is firm and heavily accented. “Just give me the keys before I have to do something I will regret.”

“What keys?” Renard raises an eyebrow.

“Do not play stupid. I know you have one of them here and I know the Grimm has one of them.”

Renard chuckles again. “You know nothing.” Without missing a beat, Renard pulls the gun out from under the pillow while flipping off the safety and cocking it, aims it at his father, and shoots.

The Elder Renard’s gun goes off as well, but the bullet hits the back of the sofa, mere inches from Sean’s head. He falls back, hitting the floor with a loud thud. His breaths become shallow and his hands come up to clutch at his stomach.

Sean takes a moment to dial 911 and report the shooting then goes and stands next to his father. He kicks the gun away and crouches down.

“You were right about me. I do have one of the keys -- the one my mother stole from you. But you were wrong about the grimm. He has three of them now. Sean runs his hand over his father’s chest, checking for a wire. “The Resistance has one too. That’s as good as mine. That’s five keys. That’s closer than you could have ever gotten.”

“We could,” he chokes out, “have ruled.”

“I don’t want to rule. I want the keys to keep men like you away from what they lead to. I want the keys to keep people safe.” Sean can hear the sirens as the police cars and ambulances get closer. “Goodbye, father.” He watches as the man before him bleeds out and breathes his last breath.

Sean runs on autopilot as the police and medics enter his apartment. The medics drape a blanket over his father and before he knows it, the man is in a body bag and being taken away. He knows there should be some semblance of remorse, but there isn’t. That man was his father biologically, but that’s about it. It’s been decades since they’ve had any real contact. Plus, his wife had tried to kill Sean and his mother. That’s not the kind of man Sean can feel remorse for shooting.

He gives his statement, orally and written. His officers insist he be checked out by the medic given the recent shooting he went through, but he swears he’s fine. He’s trying to get Hank to stop badgering him when he looks over and sees Nick shoving his way in. He has to try hard not to smile.

“What happened? Are you alright, Captain?” Nick does his best to keep formality in front of his coworkers.

“He’s fine,” Hank says. “Where the hell have you been, man? We’ve all been worried sick!”

“I was with my mother.”

“Monroe told me that you and Juliette got into a fight and you left.”

“Yeah. That happened. But that’s not important right now. Captain, what happened?”

Sean sighs and looks around. “I need to talk to the two of you in private.”

The three men move into Sean’s bedroom, and he closes the door behind them.

“The man was my father.”

“You shot your father?” Nick asks, not as shocked as most people would be.

“Yes. He came for the keys.”

“And?” Nick asks.

“Don’t worry. It’s still safe. What about you?”

Nick pulls the chain out from under the neck of his shirt, revealing all three of his keys.

“You got another?” Hank asks.

“Yeah. My mom got it. There was a grimm in California that was killed not too long ago. His daughter had it. She gave it to my mom, not wanting anything to do with grimm life.”

Hank looks at Renard. “What do these keys open?”

“I don’t know. I just know it’s in the Black Forest and that it’s powerful. My father, like the other heads of the royal families, wanted it to rule.”

“Not to change the subject,” Nick starts, “but does this make you the head of your family? Now that your father and brother are dead?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He sighs. “I’m not fully a part of the family. Eric’s mother was my father’s wife. My mother was his mistress.”

“So who would that leave?” Nick asks, somewhat anxious.

“Eric’s mother and my cousin Viktor. Either way, it’s not good. We need to figure out how to get your powers back. You’re going to need them.”

“I don’t know what help I can be, but you know I’ve got your back. Both of your backs,” Hank says. “And, if this is as bad as you’re making it out to be, I think we need to tell Wu. He’s mixed up in this, too. He needs to know.”

“Hank is right. Nick, someone needs to tell him. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Nick nods. “I guess it’s about time. Hank, why don’t you and I tell him together?”

“That’s probably the best way,” Hank says.

“Hank, can you excuse us a moment? I need to talk with Nick privately.”

“Of course, Captain.” Hank excuses himself from the room and goes back to working the scene.

“What is it, Sean?” The casualty of Nick’s tone puts Sean at ease.

“I hope you came here because you’re going to stay.”

Nick nods.

“Good. I think it’s in your best interest. Without your powers, you’re a bigger target. You need to be with someone who can keep you safe.”

Nick nods again. “I should, uh, give Monroe and Rosalee a call. See if they can find something."

"Call them, then go find Wu. You and Hank need to tell him ASAP.”

“Yeah. Oh, what should we do with the keys? With three of them, it’s getting uncomfortable.”

“Keep them until everyone clears out of here. Then, we’ll hide two of them here. I want you to keep one. That way not all of them are together.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Nick walks towards the door, phone in hand, dialing Monroe’s number. He pauses. “Are you okay?”

Sean sighs. “Not really. But I’ll manage. Now, go take care of your business.”

“Right, Captain.”

 

 


	5. Wu

It started when Dana was attacked. He saw it; saw its razor-sharp teeth; saw it’s long, snake-like tongue. It jumped right out the window and disappeared into the night. He was scared and, honestly, he still is.

For months he thought he was crazy. He couldn’t sleep and barely ate. It was hard to concentrate on work. Anytime he had a pencil in his hand, he found himself drawing the creature he saw. When Hank had told him there were things that he’d seen that he couldn’t explain, Wu started to think that maybe there was more out there than most people ever dream of seeing.

Then he found the books in Nick’s house, in the spare bedroom where the young criminology student was staying. _Why is she staying with Nick and Juliette?_ When he flipped through the pages, he found himself looking down at the same kind of face he had seen at Dana’s house. The more he dwelled on what was in the books, the less he thought he was crazy. _Maybe other people have seen this thing._

“Hey, Wu,” Hank calls from the living room.

“What’s up?” Wu asks, walking towards him.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Now? We’re on a case. Our Captain was practically attacked, after being shot barely two months ago.”

“Just trust me.” Hank turns around to see Nick walking towards them. Good.

“C’mon. We should probably do this at the spice shop,” Nick says.

“Yeah. They were a big help to me,” Hank replies.

“What’s going on, guys?” Wu asks, looking back and forth between his friends.

“Just come with us,” Nick says, gesturing towards the door.

Wu caves and follows Nick and Hank out of the apartment, into the elevator, and then out of the building, and into Nick’s truck. Neither Nick nor Hank say much on the way, so Wu keeps his mouth shut too. It’s a quick drive. They pull up behind a brick building and Wu misses the “Exotic Teas and Spices” sign.

“Wait here,” Nick says before getting out of the truck and knocking on the back door. He’s relieved when it opens. “Hey, Rosalee.”

“I can’t figure out if I want to punch you in the face or hug you.”

“Um…the last one?”

Rosalee extends her arms and pulls Nick into a hug. That’s when she looks behind him and sees Hank and another officer in Nick’s truck. “Nick, what’s going on?”

“It’s a really long story, and I promise I’ll tell you everything later. But right now…” Nick turns and gestures towards Wu. “That’s Sergeant Wu. He works with Hank and I.”

“The one who saw the aswang?”

“Yeah. We, uh, we need to tell him about all this. ASAP.”

“And you want my help.”

“I’m an asshole, I know. But please help me. There’s a lot going on and –”

“Bring him in here. Monroe’s in the front of the shop.”

Nick nods to Hank, who leads Wu into the back of the shop.

“You two look familiar. You’re the, uh, watch guy right?”

“That’s me. I’m Monroe.”

“And you were involved in a case, too, right?”

“Yeah. My brother was murdered. I’m Rosalee.”

“I hate to be rude, but what’s going on?”

Nick goes on to tell Wu that what he saw was real, that he’s not crazy. Hank recounts his own experiences. Nick and Hank come clean about all their lies, about who Trubel is, about what Renard is. Completely baffled, Wu just shakes his head. He’s angry that they’ve lied to him and that they let him go to a mental hospital rather than come clean. But he moves on to thinking _better late than never_.

“So what are we doing here? Is this like Creature HQ?”

“Well, sort of,” Monroe says.

“Nick brought you here because Monroe and I are both wesen. I’m a fuchsbau, which is like a fox. Monroe is a blutbad, which is like a wolf.”

“So Nick can see you? Like right now?” Wu asks.

“Not exactly,” Nick starts. “You remember Adalind?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Well, she’s a hexenbiest – a witch. She, uh…she stole my powers from me. So, I’m not technically a grimm anymore.”

“But the criminology student, she can see them?”

“Theresa. Yeah. She can still see them.”

“Why could I see the…whatever you called it, but I can’t see Monroe and Rosalee?”

“Because it was woged. When we woge, grimms can see us. Other people can see us if we want them to,” Rosalee answers.

Monroe adds, “It accounts for tales like bigfoot.”

“Monroe, maybe you could show Wu like you showed me?” Hank suggests.

Monroe nods. “Just remember, man, it’s only me. You ready?”

Wu nods, tenuous but curious. “Yeah.”

With a shake of the head, fur sprouts and Monroe’s eyes go red. He attempts a smile to ease the look of fright on Wu’s face but it doesn’t really help. Another shake of the head and his wolfish features retract.

“See? Just me.”

“Uh…okay…” Wu is uncomfortable; it’s a lot to take in. But, much like Hank had been, he’s relieved he’s not actually crazy.

“How about something a little less intimidating,” Rosalee offers. She shakes her head just as Monroe had done. Rosalee has a much softer look and, really, they shouldn’t ever let Monroe lead.

“C-can I…” Wu reaches out as his voice trails off.

“Sure.” Rosalee leans forward and lets Wu run a light hand over the fur on her cheek. When Wu reclaims his hand, Rosalee goes back to human. “Not so bad, right?”

“You should start with that. No offense.”

Monroe shrugs. “None taken.”

“So all this…it’s all real?”

Nick nods. “I’m sorry we kept it from you. We’ve been on the fence about it for a while. It took me a long time to tell Hank and I only did because he saw a wesen.”

“Most people can’t handle it,” Rosalee says.

“That’s understandable. So, why did you guys finally tell me?”

“Renard wanted us to,” Nick answers. “There’s a lot going on.”

“Does it have something to do with why you went to see your mom?” Monroe asks. “Or maybe why you were gone a week and didn’t answer any of my texts?”

“I’m sorry, Monroe. I really am. I left on a bad note and then I wasn’t sure how safe I would be. I only texted Renard because I was out of options.”

“Nick, what’s going on that you couldn’t just come to us?” Rosalee asks, her face marred with worry. “Is it grimm stuff or home stuff? Juliette told me you two fought, and that you fought with Theresa.”

Nick sighs. “Yeah, Juliette and I fought before I left. I wanted to give her a normal life and that’s why I wasn’t actively looking for a way to get back my powers. But I think she wants me to be a grimm again. I don’t know. I really don’t know if things will really ever be okay for us again. And Theresa…I felt like she was only on Juliette’s side and I felt like they were ganging up on me. I couldn’t deal and so I left.”

Monroe, seeing that Nick clearly wants to drop this aspect of the conversation, changes the subject. “What did your mom want?”

“She got another key.” Nick pauses for a moment, thinking. “Monroe, you remember that grimm you told me about? The one who was beheaded. Where was he?”

“California.”

“I think he was the one with the key. Well, my mom says she got it from his daughter. She didn’t want to have anything to do with the grimm life anymore and gave it up pretty easily.”

“Whoa,” Monroe says. “So that gives us three keys.”

“Four. Almost five.”

“What?” Rosalee asks.

“Renard has one – that’s four. The Resistance has one and Renard says it’s pretty much ours – that’s five.”

“So do we know where the other two are?” Hank asks.

“Renard says he thinks the head of one of the royal families has one of them. He said he knows where the other is, but that’s it’s going to be dangerous.” Nick turns to Wu. “That’s why he wanted us to tell you about all this.” Nick looks to Monroe and Rosalee. “He says we need all the help we can get, but I can’t keep asking you guys to put your lives on the line for me. It’s not fair to you two. Especially with how I’ve been acting lately.”

“Nick, shut up,” Monroe starts. “You are my best friend. Rosalee and I are going to help you. We always are. Yeah, sometimes we both get fed up with you, but it doesn’t mean we don’t care about you. You can always come to us.”

“Nick, if it weren’t for you, Monroe and I never would have met. I mean, yeah, if you get him hurt, I’m gonna hurt you. But we’re never going to stop trying to help.”

“Thanks you guys.”

Rosalee looks up at Monroe, who nods. Rosalee steps away, pulls something off a shelf, and then sits back down. “We found a cure.”

“You don’t seem happy about it,” Nick says.

“We tried to find a way around it, but there’s only one way.” Rosalee frowns. “You have to drink this and then sleep with a hexenbiest to get your powers back. And it can’t be Adalind. You have to find another hexenbiest, that way the bond that Adalind created between you will be broken.”

Nick sighs. He knows he has to come clean to Rosalee. “Rosalee, can I talk to you privately?”

“Of course.” Rosalee leads him into the front of the shop. “What’s wrong?”

“Will this work if the person is half hexenbiest?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I would assume that as long as they are partially hexenbiest, it should be fine.”

“And if that person is…a zauberbiest?”

“Nick, what are you trying to tell me?”

“Will it still work if…” Nick can barely get the words out. “…it was Renard?”

Rosalee’s eyes grow wide. “Nick,” her voice is low, soft. “What’s going on? Are you and him…” She makes a vague hand gesture.

“No. No. I would never do that to Juliette. Not purposely.”

“So…?”

“He gave me a key to his place a while ago, in case I ever needed somewhere to go to lay low, or for help or safety. When I talked to him, he told me to use it.”

“I’m guessing this is part of why you and Juliette will never be okay.”

Nick nods, looking away. “I know I sound awful.”

“Stop with the self-pity, Nick. You’re in a shitty situation, but it’s also an extremely unique situation. Stop trying to compare yourself to normal people and normal relationships. I’m not blind. I know you and Juliette are coming to an end. I just...I don’t want to feel like I ever have to choose between the two of you.”

“I would never make you do that, Rosalee.” Nick turns back towards her. “Everything is just such a mess. I don’t know what to do anymore. I keep hoping for a sign, but I’ve got nothing.”

“For right now, just forget about everyone but you. Do you want to be a grimm?”

“Yes,” Nick answers quickly, surprising himself.

“Then take the jar and go find your zauberbiest.” Rosalee leans up on her toes and presses a kiss to Nick’s cheek.

Nick nods. “Okay then.”

“What are you going to tell everyone else?”

“Shit. I don’t know.”

“Make something up?”

“Gonna have to. At least for now. Especially with Hank and Wu. I don’t care if Monroe knows.”

“Come on. Let’s get you out of here before you chicken out.”

Nick makes up a lie about having met another hexenbiest a while back -- something about her flirting with him at a bar when he and Monroe were out. Monroe is about to object but Rosalee elbows him and he plays along. She promises to tell Monroe about it later.

Hank takes Wu back to the precinct and they delve into the paperwork for the case. Hank makes it a point to check on Wu a few times before he finally calls it a night and heads out. Wu is doing surprisingly okay, and when he leaves, he feels less tense than he has in months.

_So that creature was real. All of them are real and they’re all around me, around Portland, around the world. They’re my friends and coworkers. My Captain. They’ve been victims and criminals. They are real and I am not crazy._

 


	6. Nick and Renard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be the smut!

Nick is happy to see that the streets outside of Renard’s apartment are now empty of all but one police car. He walks into the lobby like he belongs there, going right passed the receptionist and into the elevator. Even though he knows Renard is in his apartment, he still keeps the key in his hand, and uses it to let himself in.

Renard is sitting in the recliner, television on and a drink in his hand. His head rests against the back of the chair. Nick takes a moment to gather his composure (and some confidence) and then walks into the living room.

“Hello, Nick.”

“How’d you know it was me.”

“I could see your reflection in the window. Besides, I figured you’d come back. Did you tell Wu?”

“Yes.”

“How did he take it?”

“Really well, actually. I think he was just glad to know that he’s not crazy and he’s not alone.”

“Makes sense.”

“So how are you?”

“As well as can be expected, I suppose.” Renard turns his head to see Nick. “You can sit down, you know.”

“Oh, right.” Nick sits down on the sofa, on the end nearest to Renard.

“What’s wrong?” Renard asks, his gaze set on Nick.

“What? Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Nick.”

Nick sighs. “Rosalee and Monroe found a way for me to get back my powers.”

“Don’t tell me you still don’t want them back.”

“It’s not that. I do want them back.”

“Then what?”

“To get them back, I have to sleep with a hexenbiest.”

“Adalind or just any hexenbiest?”

“It can’t be Adalind. It has to be someone else; something about breaking the bond that Adalind created between us.”

“Do you know another hexenbiest?”

“Just one. Well, actually...half of one.”

“Oh.”

Nick stands up. “I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry.” He turns and starts to walk away.

“Wait.”

Nick stops but doesn’t turn around. Even without his enhanced hearing, he can hear Renard get up and walk over to him. He’s standing so close Nick can almost feel the heat from his body. He wants to lean back, wants to feel him.

“Just ask.” Renard’s voice is low and husky, and goes right to Nick’s groin.

Nick isn’t completely sure how to word it or what exactly Renard wants to hear. But then, “Help me?” He turns and looks up. “Please, Sean?”

And then they’re kissing and their hands are all over each other. Sean’s hands are fisted in the front of Nick’s shirt, holding him close, right where he wants him. Nick’s hands settle on Sean’s waist, hesitant, cautious. He’s not really sure what to do, but is glad to be along for the ride.

As they kiss, Nick parts his lips, letting Sean slip his tongue inside. Without letting go of Nick, Sean leads him into the bedroom. He pulls away to push Nick down on the bed, and then he’s right back on him. His hands are quick to push at Nick’s shirt until it’s being tossed to the floor.

Nick’s body has taken beating after beating and it’s finally starting to show. Ever since he lost his powers, he’s been healing more slowly. He’s still got a few bruises from his last run-in with a perp. There are scars on his bicep, his chest, his side. But most of them have faded. Sean mouths over the ones on his chest as he works down Nick’s body. He’s quick to discard Nick’s pants.

“Let me see you,” Nick whispers as he reaches for Sean’s shirt. He’s rarely seen his Captain in plain clothes and has never seen him in sweats and a t-shirt. It’s a nice look, Nick thinks. But he’d certainly rather there be no clothes at all.

Sean lets Nick’s hands slip under his shirt and pull it off. Nick’s hands are light as they move over the scars on Sean’s body. He instantly feels a pang of guilt.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why? You’re not the one who shot me, Nick.”

“But I’m part of the reason you were.”

“Well, yeah, you are. But I don’t hold that against you. I knew what I was getting myself into. I’m prepared to take a lot worse for you.”

“Sean…”

“Even if I pushed you away, this was still going to happen. I’ve gone against my family, the other royals, the Verrat. I have a key, have access to four others. That is what put me at risk. And yet I still chose to be your ally. I’m letting you in, regardless of the risk.” He leans closer, lips brushing against Nick’s.

Nick closes the small distance, pressing his lips to Sean’s once again. Clothes keep disappearing, finding a new home on the floor, until both men are naked. Nick reaches out, his hands sliding down Sean’s body, exploring. He’d been with a guy a few times in college but that was so long ago. He bites his lip as his eyes move over the body on top of him, thinking about what he wants.

Despite most of his weight being put on his arms, which are planted firmly on either side of Nick’s head, Sean still feels the strain in his abdomen. He moves so he’s lying next to Nick, both of them on their side, pulling the younger man closer, and kissing him again. He trails one hand between them, slowly stroking Nick until he’s moaning and writhing. When his hand stills, Nick whines.

“Sean,” he pleads.

“Where did you put that jar?” Sean asks, still painfully aware of why they’re really doing this.

“Uh,” Nick starts, “shit. I left it in the living room. On that table behind the sofa.”

“Don’t move,” Sean says, slipping out of bed and disappearing out the door. When he comes back in, he has the jar in his hand and is looking at it tenuously. I’ve had worse.

Nick, after a deep, steadying breath, gives Sean a quick run-down. He drinks the concoction, just as Adalind had, though Sean will stay looking like himself -- something Nick finds rather appealing. Nick asks Sean if he’s sure. He just replies by opening the jar, and drinking all of its contents.

As Sean slips back into bed, he’s quick to reach out to Nick and pull him closer, urging the man into his lap. His hands slide up Nick’s thighs and he goes back to slowly stroking Nick’s cock. Nick’s head falls back as he rocks his hips and thrusts into Sean’s hand. Reaching around, Sean runs a light finger down the cleft of Nick’s ass, making him shiver.

“Lube?” Nick asks, trying to halt his movements, knowing they need to go a lot further.

“Nightstand,” Sean nods to the one on the left side of the bed.

After grabbing the bottle, Nick settles back in Sean’s lap and goes to squirt some lube onto one of his fingers.

“No,” Sean says, reaching out to grab Nick’s hand. “Let me?”

Nick nods and surrenders the bottle. He’s careful as he abandons Sean’s lap, lying down next to him as he had earlier. But Sean shakes his head. With a grin, he suggests “hands and knees.” Lips perking up, Nick nods and turns over, pushing himself up on his hands and knees. Sean groans a little as he sits up and positions himself behind Nick.

Lubing up his index fingers, he runs his fingertip down Nick’s cleft, slowing down at the pucker. Part of him wants to get this done quickly, wanting what follows so much more, but he also wants this to be good for Nick, so he takes his time. One finger at first. Then a second. And finally a third. Reclaiming his hand, he kisses his way up Nick’s spine and lingers at his neck.

“I want to ride you,” Nick says, voice low, wanton.

Sean can’t help the moan that slips passed his lips. He just nods and moves to lie down. He’s eager to have Nick in his lap and practically pulls him closer. Nick takes a deep breath and then settles down on Sean’s cock. It takes him a minute to be able to take the full length.

It takes Nick a while to find a rhythm that’s good for both of them. He’s cautious of Sean’s body, still all too aware of the bullet wounds that are only recently starting to scar. He keeps the pace slow, knowing that Sean was still complaining about being sore a few days ago. But then Sean’s hands are on Nick’s hips, urging him to move faster.

“Come on, Nick. I’m not going to break.”

Nick’s hips speed up, but he’s still cautious. He has to lean forward so his hands can find perch on Sean’s shoulders rather than his chest or stomach. The angle proves so much better, hitting that sweet spot. He still lets his head fall back, mouth hanging open, moans slipping out.

“Look at me,” Sean all but growls, raising a hand to Nick’s face and cupping his jaw.

Nick’s head is leaned down, eyes become fixed on Sean’s. Sean’s hand slides down Nick’s body, caressing, finally settling on his cock. His movements are slow, thought-out. He knows he could make Nick with just a few meticulous strokes, but he won’t. Just because he’s being used, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy it.

Nick leans back, resting his palms against Sean’s thighs, fingers spread out and pressing into flesh. Bucking his hips up, Nick thrusts into the tight circle of Sean’s hand and then sinks back down on his cock. All the stimulation makes him whimper. It makes all the nerves in Nick’s body tighten, coil. He’s so close.

With Nick clenching tightly around his cock, Sean finds himself bucking his hips up as Nick sinks down. He’s starting to get close. As much as he wants to just flip Nick over and fuck him until he can’t walk straight, he knows he can’t put the strain on his body.

Taking a deep breath, Sean steadies his body and focuses even more on Nick. After letting go of Nick’s cock, his hands move squeeze Nick’s thighs and then move up to his hips to guide his movements. It quickens Nick’s pace and forces his hips down harder.

Nick swallows; he’s relying on Sean to keep him going, to guide him over the edge. He curls over Sean, hiding his face in the crook of his neck. Crying out, he finally goes over the edge, orgasm hitting him hard, striping Sean’s stomach with white.

Sean holds Nick’s hips steady, and instead just slowly rocks his own hips upward. He can hear Nick’s voice in his ear, raw and low, murmuring Sean, Sean, please. It pushes him on, makes his hips rise farther, brings him closer and closer to the edge.

“Please,” Nick murmurs again. He lifts his head enough to see Sean’s face. “Let me see you.”

Approaching the edge, losing his composure already, he woges. Nick’s heart skips a beat, tenses. His lips curl up into a smile and Sean knows that Nick can see him. And that right there is enough to push him right over the edge. He thrusts up one last time and comes.

It takes a while for the Sean to really come down, for his heart to beat at a normal pace. Nick’s taken it upon himself to clean them both up. He’s sitting next to Sean, his back against the headboard.

Finally, Sean manages, “You saw me?”

Nick nods. “Yeah,” he says softly, “I saw you.”

“Good.”

 

 


	7. Juliette and Trubel Part II

When Theresa wakes up, Juliette is still asleep, back facing her, but still lying closely. She reaches for her phone and notices a text from Hank: _Nick is safe. He’s with Renard. Wants you to call him ASAP._ Even though she’s still angry with Nick for walking out, she’s happy that he’s safe.

She gently slips out of bed and tip-toes out of the room, going downstairs, where she won’t wake up Juliette. Dialing Nick’s number, she presses the phone to her ear and waits for him to pick up.

“Hey,” Nick says, and Theresa knows that if Nick were in front of her right now, his hands would be shoved in his pockets, he’d be shuffling his feet, and looking down at the floor.

“I’m glad you’re okay. I mean, you _are_ okay, right? Hank said you were safe.”

“Fine as I can be, ya know? But uh, I’ve got some good news.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m back; I’m a grimm again.”

“What? How?” Theresa scrunches up her face even though no one’s around to see.

“Rosalee and Monroe found a cure and it actually worked.”

“So does that mean you’re coming back?”

“I am back. I’m staying with Renard. I know Juliette doesn’t want me back and that’s fine; I don’t really want to go back. Besides, I want her to be happy...and safe. I want to be safe too, and right now that means staying where I am.”

“Whatever you gotta do, man.”

“So how are _you_?”

“Alright, I guess. It’s uh...it’s been weird with you gone.”

“I’m sorry, Trubel. I really am. I’m not mad at you, never was. I was just so angry and I lashed out.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, I know this is kinda early for you, so I’ll let you go.”

“Text me later, okay?”

“Of course.”

Theresa hangs up and lingers around downstairs. There’s a part of her that’s worried that if Nick is back, she won’t get to find out what’s between her and Juliette. But Juliette doesn’t seem to want Nick back and Nick is okay with that. Maybe it’ll actually all work out. With her lips perked in a hopeful smile, Theresa climbs the stairs and sneaks back into the room, curling up in bed, barely managing to lie down before Juliette is waking up.

A few sleepy murmurs fall from Juliette’s lips as she rolls over, stretches, and then wraps an arm around Theresa. “Morning,” she finally whispers.

Theresa welcomes the arm that wraps around her, and she smiles. “Morning.”

“You think we should actually get up and do something today?”

“Well, I think the rain’s finally letting up.”

“Do you think we can start the day with a good morning kiss?”

Theresa thinks for a moment and replies, “Maybe after we brush our teeth,” and it makes Juliette laugh. “Contrary to the movies, morning breath isn’t cute.”

“Well then I guess I better get up.”

Retreating down the hall, Theresa leaves Juliette with the en suite and goes to use the other bathroom. Despite the desire to give that good morning kiss to Juliette, Theresa opts for a quick shower. Afterwards she pulls on clothes -- the new stuff that Juliette bought her -- and heads downstairs, where she can smell the delicious scent bacon.

When she walks into the kitchen, Juliette is flipping the bacon around in the pan. Theresa walks up behind her, softly, and wraps her arms around the other woman’s waist.

“So about that good morning kiss…”

Setting down the flipper and turning in Theresa’s arms, Juliette leans forward, pressing her lips to Theresa’s. When she pulls away, she says, “Good morning.”

Theresa chuckles a bit. “Morning.”

“I, uh, made you some bacon. Do you want eggs? Toast?”

“Sure.” Theresa smiles.

The girls spend their day just wandering around town, stopping into all the little shops and boutiques into which Juliette could never seem to drag Nick. The best find, in Theresa’s opinion, is the chess set Juliette finds in a thrift store. She promises to teach Theresa how to play, which is more than that; for Theresa, it’s a promise of some not-yet-determined time in the future -- it means there _is_ some kind of future for them.

Somehow Theresa’s stomach doesn’t start growling until sometime after two, when they walk by a little restaurant. Theresa opens the door for Juliette, who pays; she can’t help but think that this is what dating must feel like. When they sit down at a table and order their food, Theresa becomes quiet; she wants to talk about what’s going on, find out if theres a future, but she knows that maybe this isn’t the time or place.

“What’s wrong” Juliette asks, reaching across the table to grab Theresa’s hand, but stopping herself.

“We should probably talk about this, shouldn’t we?” Theresa asks, unsure of how to really go about all this.

Juliette sighs. “Yeah.”

“I mean...not if you don’t want to.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to; I’ve just been putting it off. I guess I thought if I put it off long enough, it would make things easier, that I’d have a better handle on what I wanted.”

“We can stop if you want,” Theresa says, looking away.

“Oh god no.” Juliette reaches out and grabs her hand. “This is just…”

“New?”

Juliette shakes her head. “No. It’s just been a long time, and I haven’t dated in a while.” She shrugs. “I’m just not sure how good I’m gonna be at any of this.”

“Well there’s a good chance you’ll be better than I will, but I’m willing to try if you are.”

Juliette nods, her lips perking up into a smile. “I’d definitely like that.”

Theresa smiles back and she becomes all-too-aware of the heat in her cheeks, and turns away when the waiter brings their food. She mumbles a ‘thank you’ and waits for him to walk away before turning back to Juliette.

“So what are we gonna tell people? I’m sure Rosalee or Bud or someone is gonna ask.”

Juliette shrugs. “Well, Rosalee knows most of the situation; she knows about the trouble Nick and I had and that my feelings were changing. She’s my best friend so I’d like to tell her about this, and I’d like to tell her we’re a couple.”

Nodding, Theresa adds, “I’d like that, too.”

“And as for everyone else, we’ll just tell them we’re happy.”

“I really am happy, Juliette.”

“Me, too, Theresa.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking there will be only one or two more chapters.


	8. Epilogue

Wu

 

There are times Wu catches himself staring at people, wondering if they’re wesen. There’s a part of him that envies Nick and Theresa for being able to see so much more of the world, but the other part of him knows he might not be able to handle seeing it all the time. At the end of the day, he’s just glad to no longer be in the dark.

The whole gang makes it a point to include Wu in all the grimm happenings they deal with. He’s seen Monroe and Rosalee in woge a few more times, he’s finally seen Renard for who he really is. He’s met Bud, whose wife has added him to her pie list (Wu’s had to loosen his belt a little in the last few months).

Wu is no longer angry at his friends for keeping him out of the loop for so long; he understands why they had to. He still isn’t a fan of working wesen-related cases off the books, but he knows it isn’t something he can just write in a report, even if his boss is one of them. He spends a lot of time pouring over the books in Nick’s trailer, trying to catch up with what everyone else already knows. He’s actually been extremely helpful and has helped identify a few wesen. Nick and Hank wish they’d clued him in way earlier.

* * *

  
Juliette and Trubel

 

The era of Nick and Juliette comes to an end with no hard feelings. They both knew it had been over for a long time, and they were only making themselves suffer by not wanting to let go. They part as friends, and Juliette still helps with grimm stuff when she can, but mostly she does it for Trubel.

Everything is still so new for them, but they learn to roll with the punches. Juliette likes that she is finally embracing a part of herself she’s been running from for most of her life. It’s hardly the first time she’s been with another woman, but now she doesn’t have to worry about who’s going to find out. When she first moved to Portland, it was in hopes of having the freedom to be herself, but she found herself still hiding -- it was easier. But now she’s with someone who loves her the way she is, makes her feel alive, and has woken up a part of her she thought died a long time ago.

Theresa has never been one to think about the future or to make any long-term commitments, but here she is still in Portland, working at the Spice Shop, and planning a vacation with Juliette. It’s the first time since her parents were killed that she feels like she has her life together, and feels safe and loved. Sometimes it’s weird for her to be in the same room as Nick because of everything with Juliette, but she knows Nick’s moved on, so she never lets herself dwell on it for too long.

* * *

 

Nick and Renard

Nick still has the key to Renard’s apartment, but now it’s found a home on his keychain. He uses it every night when he comes home, unless Renard gets home first. Nick’s stuff is now scattered around Renard’s apartment, which now has both their names on the lease. Briefly, Nick had considered getting a place of his own, but it was a fleeting thought. It had only been a month, but Renard asked him to stay. He did.

Nick kept the regaining of his grimm powers as much of a secret as he could; bad guys (the ones who are wesen) are a lot easier to catch when they don’t know Nick’s back. Nick thought there’d be a bigger target on his back now that a grimm was dating a royal, but it’s been surprisingly quiet. Renard will never tell him, but he’s cashed in on a lot (A LOT) of favors to keep Nick as safe as he has. He’s not going to let anyone take Nick from him.

The only hard part has been keeping their relationship a secret at work. Hank found out first: Why didn’t you just tell me? I don’t care what -- or who -- you do as long as you’re happy. Next was Wu: How long did it take you to tell me this? Wait, sorry. That was uncalled for. I’m happy for you. But seriously, what else are you guys not telling me? Finally, they come clean with the higher-ups when Nick gets around to changing his contact information. He wanted to change his emergency contact as well, but Renard was actually okay with Nick’s person being Monroe (I changed it the first time Juliette kicked me out).

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short and kind of a cop-out, but it is what it is.

**Author's Note:**

> This started as something completely different.  
> But as many writers know, sometimes the story just writes itself and takes you in a different direction.  
> There will certainly be many more chapters.  
> I have no end game planned yet (please do not pester me).  
> But there's a lot going on, so hold on tight!  
> Critique is always welcome.


End file.
